Maria Hurricane

This handout picture obtained from a video released on September 19, 2017, on the twitter account of the Prefecture de Guadeloupe shows the powerful winds and rain of hurricane Maria battering the south of Basse Terre on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Hurricane Maria strengthened into a “potentially catastrophic” Category Five storm as it barrelled into eastern Caribbean islands still reeling from Irma, forcing residents to evacuate in powerful winds and lashing rain. / AFP PHOTO / Prefecture de Guadeloupe AND TWITTER / STRINGER / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / TWITTER / PREFECTURE DE GUADELOUPE” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Members of the Guadeloupe Adapted Military Service Regiment gather detritus on September 18, 2017, as they clean Sandy Ground on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, after it was hit by Hurricane Irma, and in order to limit the risk of flooding and projectiles as Hurricane Maria approaches the Caribbean. Hurricane Maria barrelled towards the storm-battered eastern Caribbean and was expected to strengthen on September 18 as it churned along a path similar to that of megastorm Irma earlier in the month. The new storm, which the US National Hurricane Center warned could become a “major hurricane”, threatens the French territory of Guadeloupe, which was the staging area for relief operations for several islands hit by Irma. / AFP PHOTO / Helene Valenzuela

A man and a boy nail a board over a window on September 18, 2017, in Trois-Rivieres, on the Fench Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, as Hurricane Maria approaches the Caribbean. Hurricane Maria strengthened rapidly on September 18 as it blasted towards the eastern Caribbean, forcing exhausted islanders — still recovering from megastorm Irma — to brace for the worst again. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said the “major hurricane” had intensified to Category 3 as it approached the French island of Guadeloupe, the base for relief operations for several islands devastated by Irma this month. / AFP PHOTO / Cedrick Isham CALVADOS

A man surfs a wave at a beach in San Juan, Puerto Rico, before the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Maria, on September 18, 2017. Hurricane Maria has grown into a maximum-strength Category Five storm, US forecasters said Monday, as it was bearing down on the Caribbean island of Dominica. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO

A line of customers waits for the arrival of generators at a power sports store as Hurricane Maria approaches in San Juan, Puerto Rico on September 18, 2017. Hurricane Maria has grown into a maximum-strength Category Five storm, US forecasters said Monday, as it was bearing down on the Caribbean island of Dominica. / AFP PHOTO / Ricardo ARDUENGO

A picture taken on September 19, 2017 shows the powerful winds and rains of hurricane Maria battering the city of Petit-Bourg on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Hurricane Maria strengthened into a “potentially catastrophic” Category Five storm as it barrelled into eastern Caribbean islands still reeling from Irma, forcing residents to evacuate in powerful winds and lashing rain. / AFP PHOTO / Cedrik-Isham Calvados /

This handout picture released on September 19, 2017, on the Instagram account of “loly_fwi” shows the powerful winds and rain of hurricane Maria battering the Faidherbe boulevard along the City House (L) of Pointe-a-Pitre on the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Hurricane Maria strengthened into a “potentially catastrophic” Category Five storm as it barrelled into eastern Caribbean islands still reeling from Irma, forcing residents to evacuate in powerful winds and lashing rain. / AFP PHOTO / INSTAGRAM / loly_fwi / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / INSTAGRAM/loly_fwi ” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

This handout picture obtained from a video released on September 19, 2017, on the Twitter account of Yves Thole shows a flooded street in Pointe-a-Pitre after the powerful winds and rain of hurricane Maria battered the French overseas Caribbean island of Guadeloupe. Hurricane Maria strengthened into a “potentially catastrophic” Category Five storm as it barrelled into eastern Caribbean islands still reeling from Irma, forcing residents to evacuate in powerful winds and lashing rain. / AFP PHOTO / TWITTER / Yves THOLE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / TWITTER / YVES THOLE” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS